Martin, a Guyandotte resident, is among about 80 local re-enactors to appear in a documentary recently filmed at the Heritage Farm Museum and Village in Huntington.    

"I did not even have a speaking part," Martin said. "I am in the background in a few scenes."

While she downplays her role, Martin clearly is excited about having a role in recording history.

The three-day miniseries "Hatfields & McCoys," starring Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton, will air at 9 p.m. May 28, 29 and 30 on the History Channel.

The two-hour documentary in which Martin played a small part will air 4 p.m. June 2, serving as a lead-in for a marathon repeat of the six-hour epic that same day. Costner serves as narrator for the documentary.

The historic story of the feud between two families begins with Devil Anse Hatfield and Randall McCoy. They are close friends and comrades until near the end of the Civil War when they return to their neighboring homes.

Hatfield lives in West Virginia and McCoy just across the Tug River border in Kentucky. Hatfield wins a legal battle against McCoy's cousin in a dispute over timber rights. Tension continues to mount as accusations flair about the theft of a pig. Real disaster is ignited when a beautiful McCoy girl falls in love with a Hatfield boy.

As passions escalate, family members are killed, the feud makes international headlines, and governors of both states intervene along with the U.S. Supreme Court.

While Martin has always had a love for history, her recent role in the documentary has led her to delve into the background of the feud and to appreciate the art of moviemaking.

"The documentary is a two-hour local version of the six-hour Hollywood version," she said. "Trifecta Productions in Huntington worked with us. All local folks are in the documentary."

Martin, who frequently participates in living history presentations and re-enactments, said this marks her first time on film. She was chosen after fellow re-enactors heard about the upcoming production and sent lists of possible extras to Trifecta Productions.  

Joe Murphy, chief executive officer of Trifecta, said his company was contacted by Thinkfactory Media, producer of the miniseries. One of the directors is West Virginia native Darrell Fetty.

The documentary was filmed at Heritage Farm Museum and Village in mid March. However, interviews with historians and descendants of the families began last October. The project required a crew of about 20 along with nearly 80 local re-enactors.

Murphy notes that the documentary and the miniseries are done with integrity and attention to detail. He believes the airings on the History Channel will draw tourists to West Virginia.

Mike Perry, founder of Heritage Farm, also hopes visitors will be drawn to the state.

While he did not have a role in the documentary, he has an appreciation for those who invested hours of time for very little glory. He was in a scene in "We Are Marshall," a job that required hours of filming the same part "over and over and over." Perry was in a scene where officials were trying to determine the future of football.

This time he was content to hang out with the re-enactors while they awaited their turns before the camera.

Martin, who invested long hours for fleeting moments of fame, found her role in the documentary worthwhile.

"I'm in a courtroom scene behind the Hatfield jury," Martin said. "I'm in an election day scene with the ladies socializing. The ladies could not vote then. The gentlemen are voting and imbibing. I have no speaking parts. I am in a black calico dress. I didn't realize how much sitting around was involved in making a movie. For the courtroom scene we practiced a lot of standing up and sitting down when the judge entered."

However, it was fun to be with fellow re-enactors. She also believes the documentary as well as the three-part movie will be accurate presentations that will bring history to life. Plays and films make history more real than just reading textbooks, she said. Martin, 48, notes that her own interest in history was spurred during childhood when she saw "Gone With the Wind." Plus, she was born on the historic occasion of Abraham Lincoln's birthday.

Meanwhile, Fetty has loved being part of a production linked to his native state. Fetty, who now lives in Los Angeles, Calif., has worked as an actor, writer and producer.    

While he had hoped the miniseries could be filmed in West Virginia and Kentucky, wide- open spaces in Romania made that a more practical location. He was happy that the documentary could be filmed in Huntington.

"It's been great," he said of the overall project. "I've been working on this a long time. Being a native West Virginian, one of my goals has been to get productions in West Virginia. I'd love to help the film industry of West Virginia. That is one of my motivations for staying with the project."

Contact writer Charlotte Ferrell Smith at charlo...@dailymail.com or 304-348-1246.